Of spatial light modulators considered to date, those of the liquid crystal light valve type appear to have been the most promising. In devices of this type, a layer of liquid crystal material is retained between two electrode coated substrates. One of the electrode coatings is patterned to provide an array of individually addressable electrode elements each corresponding to a cell of the liquid crystal medium. In one common construction, the liquid crystal material is of the nematic type and the molecules are aligned in a twisted formation--each cell thus behaves as a twisted nematic (Schadt-Helfrich) light valve when combined with a sheet polarizer. Useful application of these devices is however limited by the relatively slow response of the liquid crystal media to applied voltage. Modulation bandwidths up to a maximum of a few MHz only have been reported.